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Liam Neeson
William John "Liam" Neeson (born June 7, 1952) is the actor known for his role as Peyton Westlake in the first Darkman film. Biography Early life Neeson was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland to Katherine "Kitty" (née Brown), a cook, and Barnard Neeson, a caretaker at the Ballymena Boys All Saints Primary School. He was the third child in the family and the only boy among four siblings; his sisters are Elizabeth, Bernadette and Rosaline. He was raised as a Roman Catholic in the predominantly Protestant and Unionist town of Ballymena in Northern Ireland and later attended Queen's University of Belfast. However, he left the university without graduating. At age 9, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club, going on to win a number of regional titles before discontinuing at age 17. Neeson first stepped on stage at age 11, after his English teacher offered him the lead role in a school play, which he accepted because the girl he was attracted to was starring in it. He continued to act in school productions over the following years. Neeson's interest in acting and decision to become an actor were also influenced by Ian Paisley, founder of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), into whose Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster Neeson would sneak. Neeson has said of Paisley: "He had a magnificent presence and it was incredible to watch him just Bible-thumping away... it was acting, but it was also great acting and stirring too. And his Baptisms skills are second to none." Still boxing at sixteen, he had been Youth Heavyweight Champion of Ireland for three consecutive years, aided by his height of six foot three. Neeson majored in physics, computer science, and drama at Queens College in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Darkman Neeson portrayed Peyton Westlake/Darkman in the first film, although he did not return to reprise his role in the sequels and was instead replaced by Arnold Vosloo. Nesson auditioned for Darkman due to the suggestion from his friend, actor Bill Paxton, who was also a candidate for the role. The film's director, Sam Raimi, liked Neeson's Gary Cooper charisma, and Neeson was drawn to "the operatic nature of the story and the inner turmoil of the character. To research the role, Neeson contacted the Phoenix Society, an organization that helps accident victims with severe disfigurements adjust to re-entering society." Career Making his film debut in the 1978 religious film Pilgrim's Progress, Neeson continued to star in numerous films, such as Excalibur (1981), The Bounty (1984), The Mission (1986) and Next of Kin (1989). Neeson rose to prominence when he starred in Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-winning film, Schindler's List (1993), portraying the titular Oskar Schindler. He has since starred in other successful films, including the title role in the historical biopic Michael Collins (1996), the 1998 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, the epic space opera Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), the biographical drama Kinsey (2004), the superhero film Batman Begins (2005), the action thriller series Taken (2008–2014), the thriller-survival film The Grey (2011), and the historical drama Silence (2016). He also provided the voices of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy (2005–2010) and the titular monster in A Monster Calls (2016). He has been nominated for a number of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. Empire magazine ranked Neeson among both the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" and "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time". Category:Real-world Category:Actors